`/home`

Overview

/home is where regular users keep their personal files and settings. It is one of the most frequently used areas of the filesystem and a key concept for understanding user separation and privacy on Linux. This lesson explains /home and per-user home directories.

Learning objectives

• Describe the purpose of /home and individual home directories.
• Explain the ~ shortcut.
• Connect home directories to user separation.

Core concept

/home contains a subdirectory for each regular user, named after their username — e.g. /home/alice, /home/bob. A user's home directory holds their personal files, downloads, and per-user configuration (often in hidden "dotfiles" like .bashrc). The shell shortcut ~ refers to the current user's home directory, so ~/notes.txt means /home/<you>/notes.txt.

Note the root user is an exception: its home is /root, not under /home.

How it works

When a user logs in, their session typically starts in their home directory, and programs read that user's settings from dotfiles there. Each user normally has full control over their own home directory but restricted access to others', which enforces separation between users on a shared system. This is why one user cannot casually read another's private files — permissions on home directories keep them apart (a topic expanded in the permissions module).

Practical example

$ echo $HOME
/home/alice
$ cd ~
$ pwd
/home/alice
$ ls -a
.  ..  .bashrc  .config  Documents  Downloads

The HOME variable and ~ both point to /home/alice. Listing with -a reveals hidden dotfiles (like .bashrc) that store personal configuration alongside ordinary folders.

Cybersecurity relevance

Home directories are significant in security: they store user data and configuration that may include sensitive material (SSH keys in ~/.ssh, credentials in config files, shell history in ~/.bash_history). During authorized assessment or incident response, home directories are examined for such artifacts. Proper permissions on /home subdirectories are what prevent users from reading each other's private data, making them a core part of multi-user security.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the root user's home is in /home — it is /root.
• Forgetting hidden dotfiles in home directories, which hold important config and history.
• Overlooking home-directory permissions, which enforce user separation.

Key takeaways

• /home holds a personal directory per regular user (e.g. /home/alice) for their files and per-user configuration.
• ~ and $HOME refer to the current user's home directory; the root user's home is /root, not under /home.
• Home directories store sensitive artifacts (keys, history, config) and rely on permissions to keep users separated — central to multi-user security.

Check your understanding

• What does the ~ shortcut refer to, and where is the root user's home directory?
• Why are home directories important to examine during a security investigation?